Nightcrawling

In the ensuing days, the suicide note is released and, though Kiara’s name is redacted, she grows paranoid, certain that someone is watching her. She insists on keeping the apartment as dark as possible. Her money is dwindling, so one night she calls Alé, asking if she can bring food from the taqueria.

Alé arrives, and as she eats, Kiara explains that she is the unnamed girl in the police scandal. She apologizes to Alé, certain that Alé is disappointed in Kiara’s decision to turn to sex work, but Alé does not condemn her.

The next morning, Alé convinces Kiara to seek out Marcus for protection while she feeds Trevor at the taqueria. After the two leave for the restaurant, Kiara calls Shauna, the only person she knows who owns a car, and asks to be picked up.

On the car ride, Shauna says that Marcus, Cole, and the others have begun dealing hard drugs and she is worried. Kiara thinks back to when she met Shauna, who ended up protecting her in a fight. Upon arriving at Cole’s house, Kiara tells Marcus about the police, the sex work, and the suicide note. Marcus begins to cry, admitting to her that she was right about his not being able to succeed in a music career. Marcus and Tony agree to protect Kiara.

Cole’s car pulls up, and the three step outside. Quickly, an undercover police car appears, and two officers—both of whom Kiara knows from the parties—handcuff Marcus and Cole, having located guns and drugs in the trunk of Cole’s car. Once they’ve gone, Tony hugs Kiara, but she is angry that he did not attempt to defend Marcus and Cole. She knows Marcus and Cole’s arrest is a tacit message to her to keep silent.

Kiara goes to the taqueria and tells Alé what has happened. Alé takes Kiara upstairs to her family’s apartment, where she comforts her and offers her marijuana. The two smoke; then Kiara falls asleep. She wakes to her phone ringing—it is Marcus, calling from jail. He begs Kiara to locate Uncle Ty, and finally she agrees.

Unsure what to do, Kiara calls Sandra, telling her Marcus has been taken into custody. Sandra says Kiara’s alias has been made public and agrees to look up contact information for Uncle Ty if Kiara agrees to speak to a lawyer named Marsha Fields.

Kiara contacts Uncle Ty, who, after some pleading on Kiara’s part, agrees to come to Oakland. The next day, he picks Kiara up at her apartment. He has concluded that Kiara is the girl not named in the news story and says her father would be disappointed. Kiara retaliates by reminding him that he has abandoned them.

During the jail visit, Marcus blames Uncle Ty for his predicament. Uncle Ty protests but then asks Marcus how he can help. Marcus asks him to take Kiara to Los Angeles to live with him, but Uncle Ty refuses, saying he has his own family to think of. He offers to pay Marcus’s bail, but Marcus insists he pay Cole’s instead, so that he can be released to care for his daughter.

Back outside, Uncle Ty speaks disapprovingly of Kiara’s mother’s actions, saying she is the reason he left Oakland. Kiara tries to guilt him into not leaving her a second time, but Uncle Ty returns to LA.

Kiara finds Trevor in her apartment when she returns. She phones Alé, who says they have just identified a body of a woman thought to be her missing sister. It was not, but Alé is upset and says she cannot bear to be around Kiara now.

As Kiara and Trevor make pancakes, the landlord, Vernon, knocks on the door. He is searching for Dee, Trevor’s mother, who owes him rent. Though Kiara insists she will be back soon, Vernon insinuates that he will contact Child Protective Services regarding Dee’s abandonment of Trevor. After Vernon leaves, Trevor asks Kiara when Dee will return, and Kiara, having no answers, tells him that Dee might not return. After Trevor falls asleep, she calls Marsha Fields.

Marsha Fields picks Kiara up at her apartment and drives her to her office in Oakland. Though Kiara is wary at first—insisting it is Marcus, not her, who needs help—she agrees to listen to what Marsha has to say. Marsha shows her photographs of various Oakland police officers, then asks Kiara how she became involved in the sex parties. Kiara recounts everything, though she is unable to recall specific dates and other details. Marsha believes it is likely that a grand-jury investigation will take place. She explains how the process works and says that Kiara will likely be subpoenaed to testify in front of the grand jury. After Kiara has signed a great deal of paperwork, Marsha drives her back to her apartment. Kiara is subpoenaed the next day.